Thanksgiving = Giving Thanks

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.
-Psalm 136:1

We have so much to be thankful for! For a God who gives us unconditional love and new life in Him, for loving family and friends, for a roof over our head and food on our table, for health and an amazing, sweet daughter, and an awesome little dog. For teaching jobs that we enjoy at a school that we believe in, for wonderful students and families, for freedom... and the list goes on. We hope that today and always you can give thanks for the many blessings in your life like we can.

Happy Thanksgiving! Love, Matt, Julie, and Mckenna

Halloween 2009

Since it is officially the week of Thanksgiving, I think we should finally get our pictures from Halloween up on the blog, don't you think?

Mckenna's daycare had a fun Halloween party where all the kids wore their costumes. Here is Mckenna the morning of the party before we left the house - all ready to go in her ladybug dress. I don't know if you can tell, but she really likes her costume! :)


Here are the cuties at daycare! There is a spiderman, a lion, two ladybugs, a little mermaid, and a little red riding hood. ADORABLE!


The Person cousins came over on Halloween afternoon to hang out, and we also got to celebrate Jacob and Sarah's birthdays. I saw a fun Halloween craft idea while shopping at Target, so I wanted to try it out with the kids. We had mini pumpkins, paint, stickers, and feathery hair to make our little pumpkin people. I think the kids had fun with it!






Angel Ayla! This cute costume is actually made for an older child, but Dan tailored it to fit little Ayla - isn't that cute? She just looked too sweet for words!


That night we took Mckenna out to do some trick or treating on our block. Here she is with her friend Carter (a bat!), all ready to go out. It was pretty cold that night, so we were hoping they would stay warm - I think they were just fine, and we all had a really fun time!


We pulled Mckenna around in this wagon we got at our church garage sale in the spring. It was the first time she had been in it, and as you can see, she really liked it! (We LOVE that smile!) The wagon worked great on Halloween. Since then we've used it to pull Mckenna and Carter to the park, and they seemed to love it.






All done trick or treating and taking a rest on our front step. Matt and I have fun memories from growing up and enjoying getting dressed up and walking around the neighborhood on Halloween. We look forward to carrying on the fun with our kids for years to come!

Fall fun...

Here are a bunch of pictures from our fall - September and October 2009. I guess this is what happens when you get behind on posting... a bunch of random events in one big post!

In September I went out to Los Angeles to visit my good friend Laura. We've been friends for close to 20 years, starting back in junior high at Minnehaha. She is one of the best friends I could ever ask for, and I'm blessed to have her in my life. Not only do I love to see Laura any chance I get, but I also LOVE to visit her in her home state... sunshine, palm trees, mountains, ocean, more sunshine... California is great! We were too busy hanging out and having fun for me to snap very many pictures, but below are just a few.







Venice Beach - isn't it beautiful? The weather was awesome that day - really warm and sunny, perfect beach weather! I loved sitting and laying on the beach, listening to the waves, soaking in the sun, reading a book, even getting in a short nap... it was definitely one of the highlights of my visit.


Already time to go home, the days just flew by! Here we are ready to head back to LAX to catch my flight. Thanks for the fantastic visit, Laura. I had an awesome time with you, as always!


If I had to leave Laura and beautiful Cali, at least I was coming home to this smiley girl. Mckenna and Matt were waiting for me in the airport, and Mckenna was holding a pink rose for me - too cute! We had a really fun little reunion right there in the MSP airport.


These two pictures were taken on October 4th, on my Dad's birthday. That morning we went to church, and Mckenna wore this cute knit dress, handmade for her by my aunt (Mckenna's great-aunt) Barb. It is really, really cute on her. There is also a cute little hat that matches the dress that Mckenna has worn a lot too. Thank you, Barb!


A cute, thoughtful pose... :)


Ok, there is definitely a story to go along with these next two pictures...
By now you've probably heard us talk about Mckenna's good friend that lives across the street, Carter. One day earlier this fall on one of my days off, I watched Carter all day while his mom (Nicole) and dad (Tim) were at work. Usually Nicole is home with Carter everyday, but this particular day she had to be at work at a training day. After several hours of playing with toys and reading books inside, I made the decision that we could all probably use some fresh air and a change of scenery. I wanted to go out for a walk, but it was really very cold that day, and I realized that I didn't have a jacket or coat for Carter at our house. So, I had to be creative... Mckenna has some extra outdoor things that would fit Carter, right? :)


I felt a little bit bad for making Carter wear this ultra girly coat and hat, but didn't really have time to feel too bad because it was too funny and cute! I jokingly told Nicole (who is due with baby #2 in February) that her little girl could look a lot like this! :)


The first bigger snow of the season... early October! Not really that big by Minnesota standards, but enough to actually accumulate and stay on the ground for some time.






Four of the six Bethel roomies: Ang, Julie, Janna, and Abby. We met for dinner one night in Stillwater, and had a great time catching up. Ang recently moved to New Richmond, WI and is a family doctor at a clinic there, so we decided to meet about halfway between the Twin Cities and New Richmond. We always have a good time when we get together - love these girls!


The day after Mckenna's birthday, we went to Emma Krumbees Apple Orchard in Belle Plaine, MN, which is about a 40 minute drive south from our house. Matt and I had been to Emma Krumbees several times before Mckenna was born, so we knew that we wanted to take our kids here to experience the fun too. We usually eat lunch at the country-style restaurant, and always pick apples and find some pumpkins to bring home... it's a fun fall tradition! It was pretty cold that day, but we managed to stay warm and have a really memorable time together.

















I think we were all pretty tired after our fun day outside. Mckenna gladly snoozed on our drive home - she was out cold! :)


A few more random pictures. Here Mckenna is all smiles after a nice shower.


New PJs - so cute!


Why does it feel as if Mckenna has been teething straight since April? (Probably because she pretty much has been!) We're not certain, but we're pretty sure she is currently getting in some of her back molars - ouch. I guess Mckenna was in the sharing mood enough to share her coveted, often used teething ring with her favorite person in the world, her daddy. Nice sharing, Mckenna! :)


Two days after Mckenna's birthday (and the day after going to Emma Krumbees), we went to Sever's Corn Maze in Shakopee, MN. It is just a few minutes from our house, which is great, and we'd never been there before, so it was extra fun to explore there for the first time! Nicole, Tim, and Carter invited us, so we all went together and had a blast. Unfortunately we didn't get any good pictures of the two little ones together... we'll have to get some next year when we all go again.

Here is an ariel photo of the corn maze - isn't it cool? Every year there is a different theme, and this year (obviously) was a pirate theme. They have a game within the maze (called the "maze challenge") where you walk around (with the help of a map, if you want to use it) and find different signs with pirates on them. With each sign, you can read a fun fact about pirates and mark that sign off your list that you found it. We weren't there, but Nicole told us that last year the theme was "Vote '08" and at each sign in the maze there were facts about the election, presidential history, Washington D.C., etc. Pretty cool!

Also at Sever's is a straw bale maze for kids, a corn pit (think ball pit without the balls and loose corn instead), live music, food and drinks (corn dogs, cheese curds, etc. - yum!), magic and wildlife shows, a barnyard petting zoo, an exotic animals petting zoo (camel, lemur, kangaroo, etc.), a giant slide, pony rides, hay rides, and more. If you live in the Twin Cities or are visiting in the early fall, I highly suggest you check it out - it really is fun for the whole family!











And one last piece of random information, for those that are interested. Mckenna had her 12-month wellness appointment at the end of October, and here are her current stats - weight: 23 lbs, 12 oz. (85th percentile), height: 30 inches (74%), and head circumference (Matt always thinks this one is funny... most of the Person family members have big heads): 18.5 inches (92%).

As you can see, we've had a very fun fall so far. Next I will post pictures from our Halloween weekend... someday I hope to get caught up with this blog! :) Stay tuned...

Mckenna's many birthday celebrations...

Mckenna was lucky to have several birthday gatherings in October to celebrate her first year. Here are some pictures from our fun gatherings...

Early in October, Matt's parents came to visit, along with Matt's Grandma Fran and Uncle Dave. We were planning to go to Minnehaha's Homecoming festivities that Saturday and participate in the annual Redhawk Run 5K, but it ended up being cold and rainy that day, so we stayed home. Mckenna was also getting over a cold, so I didn't want to have her out in the yucky weather. We had a lot of fun hanging out with Matt's family, but for whatever reason, we didn't get many pictures that weekend. I need to get in the habit of taking more pictures of fun events like this!

The day they came into town, I had the day off at home with Mckenna, so we met everyone at The Original Pancake House in Edina for lunch (YUM!), and then went across the street to walk around the Galleria mall for a bit. The weather was overcast, cold, windy, and rainy all weekend, so it was nice to hang out inside and stay warm. Here is Grandpa Craig pushing Mckenna around in her stroller at the Galleria... I think she was getting a bit sleepy when this picture was taken. :)


And of course the proud grandparents had to bring birthday gifts for their sweet granddaughter! This was Mckenna's first official birthday gift, so we were curious to see how she would take to opening her gifts. She did a pretty good job! It was cute to see her rip the wrapping paper, open the box, take out the gifts in the box, etc.




There were a lot of great things in the box - a cool stainless steel sippy cup, some organic shampoo and lotion, an awesome full coverage, long-sleeved blue bib (she's wearing it in this picture - LOVE IT), some spaghetti and meatballs to go with the bib :), and perhaps the cutest item, a book called "Cute As Can Bee" with the star of the book as none other than... Mckenna! Each page is a different theme - bunnies, flowers, bears, and birds. There is a spot on the last page of the book to put a picture of your baby's face, and then it shows through on each page. So it shows Mckenna dressed up as a bunny, flower, baby bird, etc. It is so cute!
We had a great weekend - thanks to Craig, Karen, Fran, and Dave for the fun visit and great birthday gifts for Mckenna - we love you guys!


Moving on to birthday celebration #2 at Mckenna's daycare, one day before her actual birthday. I think all of the kids were really excited and felt special to help Mckenna celebrate her first birthday in a fun way. I also brought mini-cupcakes for their little party, so I think the kids really liked that too. :)

I love that Mckenna's daycare provider really does a lot of fun things with the kids, including celebrating birthdays, holidays, and more. We're so happy that Mckenna can be with other young kids that she enjoys and experience all kinds of fun things at daycare - it is so good for her.


Happy Birthday to you! Mckenna's first candle and first taste of cake and frosting... yummy!


I think she ate a little bit of the cupcake, but didn't really dig in too much, just kind of picked at it.


Mckenna even got a birthday gift from her daycare provider and her family - isn't that sweet? She LOVES this doll, and gets a big smile on her face every time she sees it and holds it - too cute! Also, notice Mckenna's birthday bib - they really celebrate in style and don't miss any details! :)


After daycare that same day we went over to Caribou Coffee to see Mckenna's Aunt Kristi at work. Mckenna has been standing steady now for many weeks (no steps yet at this point, just standing) - anywhere from several seconds to a couple minutes at a time. While at Caribou, Mckenna just stood in the front entry way "greeting" (smiling and waving) people as they walked in... she must have stood there for about 10 minutes straight. Too funny! I guess it was a good spot for her to stand and watch all the exciting coffee shop action.

Since this picture was taken, she has taken her first steps. It happened about a week and a half after her actual birthday, she took three steps in a row and then sat down. Since then, she has walked a couple more times, but never more than four steps in a row. We're guessing she will be taking off walking all over the place any day now... exciting and a bit scary! :)


After awhile of her standing there, I took off her little jacket - she seemed like she could stand there forever!


Happy Birthday, Mckenna! She got a birthday package in the mail that day from her Great Grandma Harriet and Great Grandpa John in Illinois. It was a cute pink fishing vest - I don't know who likes it more, Mckenna or Matt! Mckenna will definitely have a fun future in fishing because of her daddy's love of the sport. ;)




Napping after all of the birthday excitement... ahhh, the life of a one year old!


Kristi came over after her nap to spend time with the birthday girl. She gave her this fun igloo tent from Ikea, and she loves it. Gwen got this same tent last year for Christmas, and I remember how much she liked it too. In the few weeks since her birthday, this tent has gotten a lot of use.


Playing in her tent again before bedtime. :)


We just took it easy and hung out as a family on Mckenna's birthday weekend. But the next Saturday, October 24th, we had a small gathering of family and Mckenna's neighborhood friend Carter from across the street, with his dad, Tim. Carter's mom Nicole was out of town, but Tim and Carter were able to hang out for awhile, and then they had to go to another family function.

My cousin Ben and his wife Stacey recently moved back to Minnesota from Washington D.C., and they had their sweet little boy in April, Beckett. Here is Mckenna and Beckett meeting for the first time - they are second cousins!


The whole birthday party group walking to the park...


Birthday girl!


Cousin Ayla


Second cousin Beckett


The whole group. Carter is swinging on the left, with his daddy Tim in front of him. And do you see Nemo in the back? :)




Julie, Matt, and Mckenna


Dan, Abby, and Ayla


Ben, Stacey, and Beckett


Back home to play before gifts and cake...


I can definitely see the family resemblance in these three cuties!


Time for gifts, but first Mckenna wanted to dance! I guess you're allowed to put on a little show on your birthday, right? :)




This gift is from Ayla, Abby, and Dan. It is a cookie jar that has little shapes that you put into holes in the side of the cookie jar or into the top. It says the shapes, colors, and counts as you put them in, and sings fun songs. Definitely a big hit - thank you! She has played with this everyday since the party, she absolutely loves it.


I think Ayla is watching her cousin open gifts and daydreaming about her 1st birthday party - about 6 months from now! :)


Time for cake!








All cleaned up after cake, and HAPPY!


Proud grandparents with their little sweetie. You can't see it on her shirt very well, but it says "Fun to be One!" :)


Cousins Jacob, Thomas, Sarah, and Joel couldn't make it to Mckenna's party, so they came over the next day to hang out. Mckenna always loves being with her cousins, and she had a lot of fun having them over on her birthday party weekend.

More playing in the new igloo tent...


Mckenna and Sarah. I have a feeling that these two will be good friends growing up. Sarah loves Mckenna, and vice versa. :)


Daddy and daughter




Mckenna got a really fun piggy bank toy that teaches her colors and counting. You put the colored coins in the slot, and the piggy counts them, says the colors, and sings songs. Mckenna LOVES it - she has played with it every single day since she got it. Thank you, cousins!




We loves these guys!


Mckenna had an absolutely awesome birthday, filled with many family members and friends that love her so much. What a blessing to be surrounded by so much love! Thanks to everyone for making this such a wonderful and memorable time of celebration for Mckenna and for us, it was really very, very special! :)